‘WX 74’ is a new waxflower plant that originated as a seedling produced in a sexual breeding program conducted by the breeder at Medina and South Perth, Western Australia. ‘WX 74’ was selected from seedlings of an open pollination. Female parent Chamelaucium megalopetalum ‘CM12.1-4’ (not patented) was pollinated by an unknown male parent, likely C. uncinatum ‘Alba’ (not patented), which was growing in close proximity at Medina, Western Australia. An embryo was excised from resulting fruit produced in August 2000 and germinated in vitro. The resulting seedling was subcultured in tissue culture four times, deflasked, hardened and planted in the field at Medina, Western Australia in May 2001. Following flowering in June 2002, the seedling was vegetatively propagated via cuttings and a second generation of cuttings was taken in 2009 at Medina, Western Australia. Growth and flowering records of the generations were recorded during the period 2002 to 2010. No off types were recorded and all plants were found to be uniform and stable.
‘WX 74’ is distinguishable from its female parent ‘CM 12.1-4’ by a number of features, as described in Table 1 below:
TABLE 1CharacteristicCM 12.1-4WX 74Flower diameterLargeMediumPlant heightShortMedium-tallFlower arrangement TouchingFreeof petalsFlower colourWhite aging to redWhite aging to white
‘WX 74’ is distinguishable from its presumed male parent ‘Alba’ by a number of features, as described in Table 2 below:
TABLE 2CharacteristicAlbaWX 74Leaf lengthLongSmall-mediumLeaf cross sectionRoundedFlattened triangularFlower attitude of petalsHorizontalSemi-erectPedicel lengthMedium-longSmall-medium
‘WX 74’ is also distinguishable from other known waxflower varieties. Comparisons of ‘WX 74’ to ‘Crystal Pearl’ (not patented) and ‘Ivory Pearl’ (not patented), the most similar varieties of common knowledge, are set forth in Tables 3 and 4 below:
TABLE 3CharacteristicCrystal PearlWX 74Leaf lengthMediumShortLeaf cross-sectionFlattened/roundFlattened/triangularPedicel lengthMedium to longShort to mediumTime of beginning EarlyMediumof flowering
TABLE 4CharacteristicIvory PearlWX 74Leaf lengthLongShortLeaf cross-sectionRoundFlattened/triangularLear colourGreen turning to yellowGreenFlower diameterMedium to largeMediumPedicel lengthMedium to longShort to medium